Vegetable washing basket



NOV. 13, 1951 M, WATSON VEGETABLE WASHING BASKET Filed April 22, 1946 Patented Nov. 13, 1951 UN I TED TATES PATENT OFFICE e kvneailinlrrili WASHING BASKET Mattie Watson, New '.York, N. nomatica-April .22, 194e, serial No. 664,134

(Cinca-129i This invention Telatesto vegetable vbaskets or containers adapted 'Ito contain 'the vegetables while the same are being stored and to be uable when eeting a cleenihegperation 'upon the vegetables.

It is an object ofthe present invention to provide vegetable containers which are adapted to be tted at their tops or open ends so that one of the containers forms a cover for the other container whereby the Vegetables can be manipulated throughout a greater vertical distance when the containers are inverted to pass the vegetables from one basket to the other.

According to the invention, one basket is made with over center hinged loops at its top opening and adapted to pass through the loops of the other basket and brought through and down to an over center position to retain the baskets in locked engagement with one another. The bottom ends of the basket may be made of plate metal and provided with grating slits by means of which the vegetables can be grated when taken from the baskets and passed over the grating. A similar grating arrangement may be provided on the side of the basket. On opposite sides of the bottom basket and located respectively between the hinged loops are brackets extending into the basket and externally therefrom for supporting the upper basket and preventing the baskets Vfrom sliding into one another should the rims bedistorted.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claim in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawing forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one basket assembled upon the other and containing vegetables to be washed.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the bottom basket shown in Fig. 1 containing the hingedside handles.

Fig. 3 is a similar perspective view of the top basket.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of the baskets looking directly upon the locked handles.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view looking into the top of the lower basket showing particularly the brackets for supporting the inverted top basket.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view partly in section taken on line G--B of Fig. 5 illustrating how the top basket is supported on the brackets of the lower basket.

viEig. "I 'is an enlarged -fragmentary V10erspective :view showing how the bracket v is constructed o f :wire and positioned on the basket.

-Referring now to the iigures, it will be noted hat there are vtwoibaskets I0 and II -of similar Wire 'formationadapted to lbe connected together so that their opening portions cooperate to provide an enlarged enclosure for vegetables I2. The basket I0 is provided at opposite sides with U- shaped handles I3 having side arms I3a which have their top ends curled about one of the horizontal bars IIIa of the basket I0. Intermediate of their ends, the side arms I3EL of the handles I3 are formed with eyes I3b. Vertically arranged hooks I5 have their bottom ends pivotally connected with the eyes I3b. The top ends of the hooks I5 are formed with hook portions I5a engageable over the lowermost horizontal rod I Ia of the top inverted basket II for securing the baskets I0 and II together when the handles I3 are pivoted ush against the side of the lower basket I0, as shown in Fig. 4. By shaking the combined baskets, the vegetables I2 will pass from the bottom of one basket to the bottom of the other basket. By rolling the baskets, the vegetables will travel on the sides of the baskets.

The baskets I0 and Il may have grating slits I6 located either in a sheet of metal l1 located at the top edge of the basket, or the bottom of the basket can be made of plate formation I8 bearing the slits I6.

Referring now to Fig. 5, there is shown a lower basket I0 in an upright position with the U- shaped handles I3 shown removed ninety degrees from supporting brackets 2| and 22 also mounted at the top of the lower basket I0 at opposite sides thereof. The brackets 2I and 22 are constructed, as shown more clearly in Fig. 7, from a single piece of wire and are shaped to straddle the edge of the basket I0. The top wire cross bars 22a are indented in several places as indicated at 23 to more easily retain the cooperating edge of the inverted basket II. By means of these brackets it is impossible for the top basket to enter the opening of the lower basket even though either of the baskets be somewhat bent or distorted about their rim. The indented portions 23 of the brackets 2| and 22 extend horizontally from both sides of the top edge of the basket and continue into portions extended downwardly at an angle and toward one another for connection at one of their ends with the sides of the basket I0, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

It will now be apparent that there has been provided a convenient arrangement, formed of two wire baskets for shaking, to effect the move- 3` ment of the vegetables in the water being used to wash them. Each time the assembled baskets are inverted the vegetables will fall throughout substantially the height of two baskets and from the bottom of one basket to the bottom of the other basket.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, vit is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

A vegetable washing device, comprising a pair of wire baskets having open ends of equal circu lar size to abut against spaced brackets mounted over the top edge of one of the baskets, said brackets being provided with corrugated cross bars, the open end of the other basketv being disposed against said cross bars, and loop handles pivoted to the basket carrying said brackets and provided with hook arms disposed in angu- 25 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file v`'of l this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENT Number Name Date 4 800,679 Rhoads Oct. 3, 1905 899,084 Thoits et al Sept. 22, 1908 903,634 Troemel Nov. 10, 1908 1,207,279 Crum Dec. 5, 1916 1,381,855 lAshcraft June 14, 1921 1,083,554 Kenyon Sept. 4, 1928 1,765,072 Hashimoto June 17, 1930 2,350,922 Planeta June 6, 1944 c FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 365,283 Great Britain Jan. 21, 1932 Germany Nov. 9, 1934 

